Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“I had no idea,” Liza murmured.
“What happened?”
“Honestly? He told me about Tess’s brothers and I did the cowardly thing. I dropped Tess off on Ethan’s doorstep and told him to man up. Or parent up. Anyway, she needed a firm hand and a man in her life to look up to.”
“I don’t think you were cowardly. It had to be hard and it took a lot of guts to do what you did.”
“If you say so. Nash didn’t approve.”
“But he got over it.”
“Because he eventually saw it was the right thing for Tess. Ethan, Nash, and Dare turned her around. Mostly Ethan.”
“And Tess brought the brothers together,” Liza said. That much she’d learned from Dare.
Kelly nodded. “Don’t give up on him, okay? Dare has always done the right thing. The self-sacrificing thing.”
Liza didn’t ask what she meant. It was Dare’s story to tell, and he’d chosen not to tell her all the details.
She ran her hands up and down her arms. “It’s getting cold in here.”
“And my ice cream’s melted,” Kelly muttered and threw her half-eaten cone away. “Ready to go home?”
“Yeah.” The vibration on her phone a few minutes ago told her Dare was home.
But her house no longer felt welcoming and she found herself wishing that she could go back to the solitary life she’d had before. Before she knew how good sharing a home could be. The life that waited for her when Brian’s current mess was cleaned up and Dare was long gone.
Chapter Sixteen
Work used to be Liza’s refuge, but lately, being in the office was as stressful as being at home. Brian’s empty office mocked her every time she walked by. Office staff asked where he was. Finally, unable to ignore the obvious, she called Peter and asked him to come to her office.
Almost immediately, there was a knock on her door. “You asked to see me?” He stepped inside her office and closed the door.
Liza nodded. “I wanted to see how things in accounting were going…in light of my brother’s absence.”
“I assure you I’m handling everything,” he said, beaming with pride.
“That’s good to hear since I’m not sure when Brian will be back,” she admitted.
Peter cocked his head to one side. “Is he ill?” he asked, sounding concerned.
More like MIA, but Liza wasn’t about to admit such a thing. “He’s under the weather.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He tipped his head to the side and paused. “Whatever happened with the duplicate checks?” he asked.
Liza swallowed hard. “I’m handling it.”
He hesitated, then walked farther into her office, closer to her desk. “I’m sorry to tell you this. Actually, I probably should have said something sooner, but your brother begged me not to.” Peter’s pasty skin flushed red.
Unease skittered up her spine and Liza shivered. “What is it?”
“This isn’t the first time there have been issues with checks. I hesitated to tell you this time, but I was afraid I’d be the one you blamed if you discovered the problem.” He wrung his hands in front of him, clearly upset.
Nauseous, Liza swallowed. “Peter, please start from the beginning and explain.”
“The duplicate checks? It’s happened before. Your brother periodically borrows money by printing two checks, forging signatures, and cashing the second one. He always promises to replace the money, and occasionally he does, but this time he seemed more desperate.”
Liza set her jaw. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”
“I promised Brian.”
“Yet you told me about the duplicate checks to Annabelle’s Antiques and held back the rest?” Liza rose from her seat until she was eye level with the man.
He bobbed his head up and down. “I…I felt guilty knowing. I thought you’d look into it and figure things out on your own. And now your brother’s been out of the office and he isn’t answering calls…”
“What do you know about why Brian borrows money?” She said the word with distaste. Her brother was stealing from the firm, plain and simple.
Peter shrugged, his suit jacket bunching around his shoulders. He didn’t meet her gaze.
“Peter?” she pressed.
“Gambling?” he squeaked.
Liza shut her eyes. “Are you asking me or telling me?”
“I promised your brother I’d keep his secrets, but I need my job and I’m sorry.” Suddenly shaking, Liza lowered herself into her chair. She needed to think. “That’s okay, Peter. I understand you were caught in the middle. Please just go. I’ll let you know if I need you.”
“Thank you. Thank you,” he said, backing out of the room.
Gambling. No wonder Brian had borrowed money from a loan shark. Could this situation get any worse? How many addictions could one man deal with before succumbing completely?
She opened her eyes and her gaze fell on a small photo on the side of her desk. Liza and Brian as children, dressed in snowsuits outside the house. Although Liza remembered her grandparents had taken the picture—her parents had been in Europe at the time, one of their many vacations—it had been a good time in her life. A fun day.